Curtis Avenue House

The project is located in Manhattan Beach, a laid back beach suburb of Los Angeles.  The brief was to renovate and add on to a post-war single story house. The challenge was to increase the homes size to meet the clients program without expanding the existing footprint due to site constraints—while at the same time respecting the scale of the neighborhood which still consists of several single story homes.

The original hip roof and attic were removed to make way for a 45º gable roof. Its cathedral volume houses a new second floor plus adds dynamic height to the lower floor—allowing the small house to live larger than its square footage.

A study, guest bath, master suite, and open living/kitchen/dining area are located on the first floor.  Two added bedrooms and a shared bath are on the second floor.  The new bedrooms flank either end of the gable roof and are connected via an open rail bridge.

Sliding glass doors located on the front and back of the house, pocket into walls expanding the small interior to generous patios. The roof is punctured with strategic operable skylights that bring in natural light and help exhaust warm air out while drawing in breezes in the summer months.  

The exterior pallet is minimal, consisting of black standing seam metal roofing—which matches the existing garage—and dark stained rough sawn western cedar.  The wood grain and standing metal seams add rich texture and depth.

Photography: Here And Now Agency